ANOVOS issues (ANOVOS ONLY discussion)

[robstyle]

The original trilogy stormtrooper and tour trooper parts and suits I had seen and handled back in 05 were not in good condition to the point we were afraid to wear them while shooting various commercials and print work. In the past, in this very thread, ive stated my own distaste for the Anovos TK offering particularly the helmet so I sold the whole kit. For the $350 cost it was indeed a bargain regardless. For mass production a digital file into metal vac bucks was a good idea. The cost for moulds, retooling and such to keep the 1% happy, from a business standpoint isnt a good investment. It was mass production. Imagine Joe Public Casual Collector receiving a bumpy trooper outfit. The amount of returns would have burned the project completely. Instead however were at non delivery and non completion of a majority of everything else since.

 

[lmgill]

I get what your saying, but I can tell you as a fact the Anovos stormtrooper is far from accurate and no direct lineage to original, it was a scan and further modified, the ears look completely scratchbuilt, they also filled some spots on face plate to easily remove from mold without damage ect...
How in the hell it turned out so inaccurate if they had access to a original movie suit?

If you are referring to the "ears" on the cuirass (breast & back), then that was the first set of suits they built, and yes, inaccurate. These "ears" came from scans were apparently sent by the company who made the film suits. I was told, in an attempt to sabotage the ANOVOS suits.
The tooling we made was from studying about a thousand photos (I'm not kidding) of the full suit, and each part in full 360. Again, as I stated earlier, the originals are cast urethane, the ANOVOS kits are vacuumformed plastic. So details are unavoidably affected by this change.
In the ANOVOS kit we developed, the only parts we cast were the "gaskets and the "detonator" on the back. The original kit detonator was a disaster of about 6 vacuumformed parts that required a few hours of cutting, fitting, gluing seaming and painting. The slush cast parts were good to go out of the box.
Like my earlier note about Starship Trooper armor, the film armors, being cast rubber, were reportedly heavy, pron to tearing and hard to move in. A friend who was on the set told me the actors couldn't lift their legs high enough to walk up a normal flight of stairs and even running down ramps took some coordination. In studying the photos of the film suits, I saw two contributing factors; While the gaskets are ribbed, the ribs are solid. In order for a ribbed "Bellows" to function correctly, the ribs need to be hollow to allow for compression. We did this on the ANOVOS kits. The other issue, is the legs on the film suits are suspended in a less efficient manner. The design they used of a single strap suspension, allows the cuisse (thigh piece) to slide down, and rotate. When it rotates just a little, the back of the knee will get bound up. In combination with the solid gaskets, this limits the wearers leg movement significantly. We incorporated a "two strap" (really one strap but secured in two locations) suspension. This helps self center the cuisse and keep it from riding down. Something one of the ANOVOS owners vigorously fought with us about, until, the ANOVOS test guy wore the new suit and raved about how much more comfortable it was. It would be interesting to see if the kits they are "selling" now keep this change.
These changes are they type I was referring to in my earlier post. Changing something to improve the customers experience over the ill designed movie version.

 

[Psab keel]

Thank you sharing this information. It's fascinating to see these things from the perspective of someone within the industry.

 

[flaming ned]

The original trilogy stormtrooper and tour trooper parts and suits I had seen and handled back in 05 were not in good condition to the point we were afraid to wear them while shooting various commercials and print work. In the past, in this very thread, ive stated my own distaste for the Anovos TK offering particularly the helmet so I sold the whole kit. For the $350 cost it was indeed a bargain regardless. For mass production a digital file into metal vac bucks was a good idea. The cost for moulds, retooling and such to keep the 1% happy, from a business standpoint isnt a good investment. It was mass production. Imagine Joe Public Casual Collector receiving a bumpy trooper outfit. The amount of returns would have burned the project completely. Instead however were at non delivery and non completion of a majority of everything else since.

ILM made a few new ones in 95 for some Special Edition shots (and those are the ones that are on display there today), but there was one death star shoot early on that used what I was told were tour suits. They were very warm.

Anyway, I think you guys need to relax and cool off the "no true Scotsman" crap. This whole thread is hysteria and made-up nonsense.

 

[Pepperbone]

ILM made a few new ones in 95 for some Special Edition shots (and those are the ones that are on display there today), but there was one death star shoot early on that used what I was told were tour suits. They were very warm.

Anyway, I think you guys need to relax and cool off the "no true Scotsman" crap. This whole thread is hysteria and made-up nonsense.

Yeah, things get heated sometimes. It's passion
But to say that this whole thread is made-up of nonsense; go back a couple of dozen pages and see why we're really here.

 

[GF]

If you are referring to the "ears" on the cuirass (breast & back), then that was the first set of suits they built, and yes, inaccurate. These "ears" came from scans were apparently sent by the company who made the film suits. I was told, in an attempt to sabotage the ANOVOS suits.
The tooling we made was from studying about a thousand photos (I'm not kidding) of the full suit, and each part in full 360. Again, as I stated earlier, the originals are cast urethane, the ANOVOS kits are vacuumformed plastic. So details are unavoidably affected by this change.
In the ANOVOS kit we developed, the only parts we cast were the "gaskets and the "detonator" on the back. The original kit detonator was a disaster of about 6 vacuumformed parts that required a few hours of cutting, fitting, gluing seaming and painting. The slush cast parts were good to go out of the box.
Like my earlier note about Starship Trooper armor, the film armors, being cast rubber, were reportedly heavy, pron to tearing and hard to move in. A friend who was on the set told me the actors couldn't lift their legs high enough to walk up a normal flight of stairs and even running down ramps took some coordination. In studying the photos of the film suits, I saw two contributing factors; While the gaskets are ribbed, the ribs are solid. In order for a ribbed "Bellows" to function correctly, the ribs need to be hollow to allow for compression. We did this on the ANOVOS kits. The other issue, is the legs on the film suits are suspended in a less efficient manner. The design they used of a single strap suspension, allows the cuisse (thigh piece) to slide down, and rotate. When it rotates just a little, the back of the knee will get bound up. In combination with the solid gaskets, this limits the wearers leg movement significantly. We incorporated a "two strap" (really one strap but secured in two locations) suspension. This helps self center the cuisse and keep it from riding down. Something one of the ANOVOS owners vigorously fought with us about, until, the ANOVOS test guy wore the new suit and raved about how much more comfortable it was. It would be interesting to see if the kits they are "selling" now keep this change.
These changes are they type I was referring to in my earlier post. Changing something to improve the customers experience over the ill designed movie version.

Yah but way too many other things wrong on the suit, the eye section, frown ect... not sure what photos they studied but got it all wrong! I can spot a Anovos suit a mile away with all its flaws

ILM made a few new ones in 95 for some Special Edition shots (and those are the ones that are on display there today), but there was one death star shoot early on that used what I was told were tour suits. They were very warm.

Anyway, I think you guys need to relax and cool off the "no true Scotsman" crap. This whole thread is hysteria and made-up nonsense.

If you think its made up non sense you have lots to learn buddy

ILM made a few new ones in 95 for some Special Edition shots (and those are the ones that are on display there today), but there was one death star shoot early on that used what I was told were tour suits. They were very warm.

Anyway, I think you guys need to relax and cool off the "no true Scotsman" crap. This whole thread is hysteria and made-up nonsense.

The suits made for the 95 special edition originate from reworked ROTJ suits not ANH or ESB completely different!

 

[Lichtbringer]

with all its flaws

You call it flaws, i call it improvements.

I would have never bought a not sanitized suit for display in my house, i just don´t like the look.
They are no art for me, the only i can see when looking at them is the crappy craftmanship - good for the few shots when watching the film, but nothing i want to see each and every day.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

Let's not get into the debate of "organic" and asymmetrical versus symmetrical and idealized all over again. Also, lmgill, were you referring to the Rogue One Stormtrooper suits? Or the OT Stormtrooper suits? Because the original OT suits weren't urethane...

I think ANOVOS did a decent job of capturing some of the wonkiness of the OT suits without faithfully recapturing every wart, flaw, and bit of mould damage. Even with the caveat in the listing that the original sculpts and the suits pulled from them were not symmetrical, were pulled from thin plastic, were sloppily cut, etc., they'd've gotten even more complaints from people who didn't read the advisement if they did. And while I like the approach of idealized and symmetrical, I don't like how Lucasfilm handled it for Rogue One/Solo -- from the materials to the cutouts in the the helmet that had always previously been stripes to the new boots used when the originals are still readily available to... *sigh*

Also, since I'm over six feet, I'm opting for one of the fan vendors that makes a slightly upscaled version for those of us who aren't 5'10" starving day actors.

But anyway, I've seen enough ANOVOS suits -- suitably upgraded -- passed in the higher accuracy tiers at the FISD to readily say they are accurate enough to work with, which is all any suit can make a claim to be, as nothing is "501st approved" out of the box. The rest is splitting hairs. Would I go for an ANOVOS (presuming I was the right size for a 1:1 scaled suit) if I were doing the ROTJ Stormtrooper? No. Way too many tweaks and changes needed. I'd save myself a headache (and probably a decent chunk of cash) and spring for CFO. Would I go for ANOVOS if I were doing a Sandtrooper? I'd have to sit down with a spreadsheet and sort out cost of replacement Sandtrooper-specific parts, compare that against just getting a Sandtrooper suit from another vendor entire, etc. But for ANH/ESB? Sure. For the amount of cleanup and assembly, it's at least comparable to the better makers out there -- slightly better in some respects, slightly worse in others, just like comparing between nonlicensed makers.

 

[CT1138]

You call it flaws, i call it improvements.

I would have never bought a not sanitized suit for display in my house, i just don´t like the look.
They are no art for me, the only i can see when looking at them is the crappy craftmanship - good for the few shots when watching the film, but nothing i want to see each and every day.

Agreed. I saw a supposedly original ANH stunt helmet at Celebration (claimed to have been used in the opening hallway battle), and it was hideous. Looked like rats had been chewing on parts of it, and the whole thing looks like it had been been globbed with a wide bristle paint brush.

Made the ones over at the EFX booth look Godly by comparison.

And I know, I know, hero VS stunt and all that jazz, but the original helmets don't really do a lot for me. It'd be a cool conversation piece to own one, but I definitely would not want the full armor looking like that.

 

[lmgill]

Yes, I was referring to a First Order ST kit by ANOVOS.

 

[flaming ned]

If you think its made up non sense you have lots to learn buddy

The suits made for the 95 special edition originate from reworked ROTJ suits not ANH or ESB completely different!

Hey what do I know, I was only there at the time.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

Yes, I was referring to a First Order ST kit by ANOVOS.

Ahh... GF was talking about their OT Stormtrooper. The ears he meant were the earcaps on the helmet, and so forth.

 

[Dontdissthefett]

The Anovos OT kits are idealized to look more how the actual trooper should look if it was a real-life person, and less like how the hurriedly-built movie suits looked that were held together with gaffer tape. I personally quite like the Anovos TK Because of that

 

[lmgill]

Ok, That's why I asked.."If you are referring to the "ears" on the cuirass (breast & back), then that was the first set of suits they built, and yes, inaccurate. "

 

[robstyle]

Hey what do I know, I was only there at the time.

More than a few people here in this thread were there too. Some on payroll, others by invite, contractors, actors... when enough info is gathered based on the info all those people give things are sorted. It also draws new people or otherwise unheard experiences into the conversation. Some are just a little more passionate than others.

 

[GF]

You call it flaws, i call it improvements.

I would have never bought a not sanitized suit for display in my house, i just don´t like the look.
They are no art for me, the only i can see when looking at them is the crappy craftmanship - good for the few shots when watching the film, but nothing i want to see each and every day.

Its not a question of sanitized or not, the shapes and details are completely wrong, helmet especially is totally off in many ways, but I guess you cant see the difference

The Anovos OT kits are idealized to look more how the actual trooper should look if it was a real-life person, and less like how the hurriedly-built movie suits looked that were held together with gaffer tape. I personally quite like the Anovos TK Because of that

I actually prefer the idealized look I don't like the bumps warts ect..., but Anovos tampered with the shapes and details, they over did it, for example Trooper Master or AP (Authenticprops) are a better example of a sanitized trooper but still captures the originals.

 

[Lichtbringer]

Its not a question of sanitized or not, the shapes and details are completely wrong, helmet especially is totally off in many ways, but I guess you cant see the difference

Obvisiously i DO see the difference - that´s why i like the Anovos appearance and shape more.

Under the line it´s a question what a person likes more, and what´s his decision to put his money, no matter what others like or prefer.

My look at the Vader helmet is even "worse" - i think it´s so ugly that i don´t care from most differencies between the variants. Black pig with samurai helmet, looks like a Vader, is a Vader. Well, it´s just helmets/costume parts and no blasters or sabers.

 

[GF]

Obvisiously i DO see the difference - that´s why i like the Anovos appearance and shape more.

Under the line it´s a question what a person likes more, and what´s his decision to put his money, no matter what others like or prefer.

My look at the Vader helmet is even "worse" - i think it´s so ugly that i don´t care from most differencies between the variants. Black pig with samurai helmet, looks like a Vader, is a Vader. Well, it´s just helmets/costume parts and no blasters or sabers.

Yep its your $ and many went for it because of the cheap price and the less educated people thinking they were getting a movie accurate suit until they realized how off it was after joining forums like the RPF or the FISD, when I first saw Star Wars wanted a Stormtrooper costume that looked what I saw on screen its unfortunate Anovos wasn't able to deliver, thankfully we have very accurate fan made costumes!

 

[JOATRASH FX]

In the end, it's just a completely different customer base:
"I just want to own a cool Stormtrooper suit" vs "I want to own a replica of the original prop."

The former is of course a much larger market (and I count myself more to the latter- symmetrical TKs just look odd to me). As I get older in the hobby I find that I can't be fanatical about every piece I buy or build- I simply don't have the time for it when there's a helpless kitten or puppy out there I could be trying to help instead. They may not get every detail right, but overall I think Anovos have done a good job of catering to both worlds. Now if they could just starting moving product...

 

[flaming ned]

More than a few people here in this thread were there too. Some on payroll, others by invite, contractors, actors... when enough info is gathered based on the info all those people give things are sorted. It also draws new people or otherwise unheard experiences into the conversation. Some are just a little more passionate than others.

Ok bud. I'm not going to argue because you've obviously got more passion, and don't need to hear about this new person's experience.